


Best Birthday Ever

by Spuri



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mention of Regis Lucis Caelum and Cor Leonis, SO MUCH FLUFF, basically childhood angst and teenage fluff, bb!Noct, like toothrotting levels of cute, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 20:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11951928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spuri/pseuds/Spuri
Summary: Noct doesn't like his birthday much at age five, or six, or nine, or basically at any time at all.Then Prompto teaches him that birthdays can be pretty awesome, actually.





	Best Birthday Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Noct!
> 
> I wrote this in like the beginning of June, and then I looked up Noct's birthday and was all "I have to post it on Aug 30th. But that's such a long wait, I don't know what to do with myself. Oh well, at least I'll have plenty of time to edit."
> 
> Fast forward, and I'm doing the damn editing on the day of, like an idiot.
> 
> Oh, and I play the game with Japanese voices and English subtitles, so my character voices are like an unholy mix of the two. Sorry 'bout that.

The music box was beautiful. All shining crystal and glittering gems, with pearls and all sorts of things Noctis didn't even have words for. But he was sure there were words for them, they were too pretty for there not to be. No-one would let him wind the box himself, but whenever he managed to get someone to wind it for him, the melody was very pretty, and almost kind of spooky.

 

Strange, though. If it was supposed to be _his_ birthday present, how come he wasn't allowed to touch it himself? That hardly seemed fair. After all, if someone gave you a gift, it was _yours_ , right? So you should be able to play with it whenever you wanted.

 

"It's not quite that simple, Prince Noctis," his nanny said with an awkward, almost smile as she gently smoothed his hair back with warm, soft hands. "You'll understand when you're a little bit older, my sweet."

 

Noctis _hated_ being told he'd understand something when he was older. Why couldn't the grownups just explain it so he'd understand it _now_? It wasn't as if he was stupid or anything - he did well in his lessons, after all - so how hard could it be?

 

Apparently very, since he never got an explanation from anyone. Then, after a little while, the beautiful music box seemed to disappear... _somewhere_. Noctis wasn't entirely sure where, and even when he could find someone who wasn't too busy for him to ask, they either didn't know or wouldn't tell him.

 

* * *

 

By the time his next birthday rolled around, Noctis had all but forgotten about the music box. Not that it really mattered. Because this year, there was a _gilt carriage_ , drawn by _chocobos_. It was about the size of his head, and the chocobos loooked so lifelike, he was sure he could count every single individual feather. Well, if he didn't keep losing count, that was. He was sure it'd be easier if he could use his fingers to track which feather he was on, but again, he wasn't allowed to touch.

 

The carriage itself was so delicate and intricate that he almost didn't understand how it stayed together in one piece. But he liked the large, gilt wheels with tiny, tiny patterns, the flowers and leaves carved into just about every part of the carriage, and the chocobos, noble and majestic with their heads held high and proud. He desperately wanted to know how it would look rolling down the hallways, but no-one would help him lift it down from the dresser, and he always got yelled at if he scraped the chairs across the floor. Besides, even if he managed to push a chair to the dresser and climb high enough he could reach the carriage, he wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to get both it and himself back _down_ from the chair.

 

So he just kept looking at it, tracing every single detail carefully with his eyes.

 

* * *

 

The birthday party was _boring_ , and he didn't understand what the fuss was all about. Whenever his nanny had read him books that mentioned birthdays, or when there were birthdays on the shows on TV, they seemed like so much fun, but Noctis barely even _knew_ any of the grownups around the table, and they all seemed like they were more interested in talking to his dad, anyway. Which made sense, in a way, since grownups always seemed to like other grownups better, and besides, Noctis' dad was _important_ , he was the _king_ , after all. Maybe they were just like Noctis, and didn't get a lot of time with his dad, so they were trying to make the most out of it now.

 

It still wasn't fair, though, it was _his_ birthday, after all.

 

And not only were almost all of the guests boring strangers who took all of dad's attention, Noctis wasn't even allowed to complain about it, because then his dad would shoot him that stern look he _hated_ . And the dinner had been lukewarm, and full of vegetables Noctis didn't like, no matter how fancy it all looked on the plate, and the cake tasted like _coffee_ , and something bitter that reminded him of the strange, amber drinks grownups would sometmes have that Noctis wasn't allowed to try yet.

 

Not that he wanted to anyway, the stuff smelled _gross_ , and made his nose sting.

 

But anyway, _real_ cake was supposed to be _good_ , it wasn't supposed to taste like this, he thought, as he poked morosely at his piece. He wanted to ask if he could be excused. Maybe if he went to the kitchen, someone would give him something that didn't taste awful, instead of this stupid, so-called 'feast'. But asking to leave was another surefire way to get the stern look. It really was the _worst_ look in the world.

 

There was a table full of presents at one side of the room that Noctis could just barely glimpse from where he was sitting, but none of them were wrapped. Birthday presents were supposed to be wrapped, right? Because it was more fun that way, since you couldn't see what something was immediately, and because unwrapping things was _great_ . But even if they _had_ been wrapped, the table was too tall for him to reach properly anyway. Plus, he'd been told, _again_ , that he wasn't allowed to touch, and it really just wasn't fair.

 

Birthdays were stupid, and all the stories were nothing but lies.

 

* * *

 

The car was beautiful, maybe even the most beautiful thing Noctis had ever seen. It looked kind of like his dad's car, but the colour was wrong. Although secretly, Noctis liked the toy car that shimmered like a rainbow better. Well, the colour, at least. A toy car could never be as cool as the _real_ Regalia, because the real car had comfy seats that smelled like his dad, and usually when he got to ride in the Regalia, his dad would let Noctis sleep with his head cushioned on his dad's lap, which was one of his favourite things in the world.

 

Noctis had grown a lot over the past year, and he was a Big Boy now, so he could reach the dresser and the car on top of it just fine. Slightly guilty, he looked around.

 

It was okay, right? He only wanted to play with it a _little_ , and he'd be careful! Besides, it was _his_ car anyway, and what was the point of toys if you couldn't play with them? In fact, if someone had given him a toy car this nice, it was almost an insult to _not_ play with it, right? Maybe when he'd been littler, the grownups had thought that he'd be clumsy and careless with it, but he wasn't a _baby_ anymore.

 

Mind made up, Noctis nodded to himself, wiped his hands carefully on his pants so he wouldn't leave fingerprints all over, and carefully, ever so carefully lifted the car from the dresser and placed it on the floor. He sat down next to it, and just _stared_ for a while.

 

Wow, it was even prettier up close like this, where he could see all the details; the intricate paint on the side, and the little steering wheel and seats inside, and so many tiny pieces everywhere. How could someone make something like this? Magic, maybe?

 

He shifted to his knees, and with one hand clamped onto the roof of the car, he rolled it around while trying to imitate the Regalia's engine noises, since the toy car made none of its own. It didn't roll as smoothly as he was used to the Regalia doing, and it was just a little bit too big for him to get a good grip on it with one hand, but it was _his_ , and he could play with it, and this was probably the best birthday present he'd ever gotten, and maybe even the best birthday present anyone had gotten in the history of _ever_. Noctis' teachers always made him study a lot of history, so he was pretty sure he'd know.

 

He kept careful track of time so he was sure to be ready for dinner, because if he forgot and people had to come looking for him, he usually got scolded, or at least his dad would be disappointed in him. And disappointing his dad was the _worst._ Luckily, there was a huge clock right there against the wall, so Noctis wasn't worried. He'd learned how to tell time _ages_ ago. It was an important part of becoming a Big Boy, after all.

 

So when it was getting closer to dinnertime, he got up, holding the car ever so carefully, so he could put it gently, gently down. But just then, the door opened unexpectedly, and Noctis jumped in surprise. The toy car slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor with a painfully loud noise. He stared at it in complete shock.

 

Whoever had just come in was saying something, he was pretty sure, but he couldn't quite make it out over his own guilty heartbeat, and the rush of shame and sadness at the sight of the toy car on the floor, broken in several pieces. He hadn't meant to do that, he'd just been trying to put it back! And he'd been careful the whole time, too!

 

"...-ince Notis?"

 

He looked up at the servant, who looked just as flustered and heartbroken and guilty as Noctis felt. He just stared at her, at a complete loss, and she didn't seem much better off, standing there with an armful of laundry or whatever. Which was silly, adults should know what to do, right?

 

No, that wasn't entirely fair. Noctis was the prince, after all; it was his job to know what to do. Maybe not quite yet, but it would be soon enough.

 

"Should we call for your father?" She suggested at last, probably just to have something to say, so they wouldn't both just stand there looking at each other.

 

Noctis shook his head. "No, he's busy until dinner," he replied. His dad was always busy, because he had an entire _country_ that needed him, so Noctis knew he shouldn't be selfish or cause trouble. He looked down at the toy car again, and blinked away the tears. He didn't _mean_ to cause trouble, he never did. And this wasn't something his dad had time for - he barely had time to _eat_ \- but Noctis wasn't entirely sure who he was supposed to go to with this. If it was just about cleaning up the mess, the servant could probably have fixed this - or found whoever was in charge of this room and have them do it, Noctis didn't know how cleaning worked - but this was a gift, and probably one from someone important. And you probably couldn't just throw away something if you'd gotten it from someone important, even if it was broken.

 

Which meant that they needed someone who knew enough about the whos and the whats and all of that stuff. Which meant one of his dad's advisors, right? Since the broken pieces weren't dangerous or anything, that meant it wasn't something he needed to tell someone in the Crownsguard about, so...

 

Probably one of those people who carried stacks of papers and reports and stuff around. Noctis was pretty sure he was supposed to know who to tell but the men and women with the reports were always so boring and serious and kind of _scary_ , and they always took up so much of his dad's time, so Noctis had always tried his very best to avoid them whenever he could.

 

"I'll... find someone," he told the servant, breaking the long silence without looking up. "You can go back to what you were doing. Um, please."

 

He wasn't always very good at the manners thing, but he was pretty sure that was the right thing to say? Well, relatively sure? _Almost_ sure?

 

"But, Your Highness, if I hadn't startled you-...!" the servant protested, and she sounded so sad and guilty, way more so than grownups usually did, even when they'd actually done something wrong. Noctis looked at her, and shook his head with his very best attempt at a reassuring smile.

 

"It wasn't your fault. You were just doing your job." His dad and his tutors always told him he had to take responsibility for his actions, and it wouldn't be fair to blame the nice lady. It wasn't like she'd done anything wrong; Noctis was the one who'd been playing with the toy car he'd known deep down that he wasn't supposed to touch, even if no-one had said so explicitly. Besides, bad things often happened to other people, when they did something wrong, or made a mistake. Whatever punishment Noctis got usually wasn't too terrible. "And, um, you should probably get back to it. So no-one yells at you?"

 

He wasn't really supposed to order people around yet, but that didn't really count, did it?

 

She looked torn, like she wanted to protest or something, but in the end she curtsied quickly, put away the laundry or whatever she'd been carrying, and left in a hurry with a softly stuttered "Y-your Highness."

 

Noctis looked at the toy car one last time, before steeling himself with a deep breath and going for the door, unsurprised to find Cor standing outside, casually leaned against the wall. There was usually some guard nearby, no matter where Noctis was. And maybe Cor wasn't the one he saw most often, since he was busy doing other stuff a lot of the time, but he'd around a lot lately. That usually meant something had happened, but it wasn't as if anyone ever told Noctis anything.

 

"I broke the car," Noctis admitted, voice soft and not at all as strong and unaffected as he'd wanted it to be.

 

Cor crossed his arms and just looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

 

"I didn't mean to, but-..." Noctis trailed off. It would be faster to show him, and Cor probably didn't want to hear any excuses anyway. A tug on his sleeve had Cor uncrossing his arms, and Noctis lead him back to the broken toy pieces.

 

After a slight pause, Cor crouched down with a sigh. Oh no. Cor's disappointment was almost as bad as his dad's. "Well, it's almost time for dinner. How about we take these pieces with us, and we can see what Regis has to say."

 

Noctis nodded miserably, and helped pick up all the little pieces and place them in the handkerchief Cor had produced, to make the pieces easier to carry.

 

* * *

 

His dad took one look at him and went: "What's wrong, Noctis?"

 

Noctis swallowed, not daring to meet his dad's eye. "I'm sorry, dad. I didn't mean to."

 

"Cor," his dad demanded, as if that was enough to get a proper explanation. It probably was, too. Noctis was only too happy to leave it to Cor; it was hard to speak at all with how his throat seemed to have closed up in pained guilt.

 

"It seems the prince had some trouble with one of his birthday presents, Your Majesty," Cor explained, sounding almost amused. Noctis shot him a glare so quick he hoped no-one saw. He wasn't really supposed to glare at people, and Cor might get back at him in training. But Noctis didn't think any of this was all funny at _all._

 

"Ah," his dad replied as Cor made his way over to the dinner table, and placed the handkerchief with the broken toy parts on it. "Nocits. Would you come over here, please?"

 

Noctis froze for a split-second, then nodded and walking closer to what was gonna be certain doom. He should probably look death in the eye, because that's what princes and kings and stuff did, right? But he didn't dare look at his dad, not even when standing right in front of him.

 

"Now, son, would you mind explaining what happened?"

 

"I only wanted to play with it a little!" Noctis said, desperate for his dad to understand, for him to not be disappointed. He didn't cry, because princes shouldn't cry, especially not in front of other people. "I was careful, I promise. I just... I was trying to put it back, but I was startled, and I dropped it, and-..." He trailed off, shoulders slumping, because nothing he could say would make this look better. "I'm sorry, dad."

 

His dad sighed, and he definitely sounded every bit as tired and disappointed as Noctis had feared. But he still didn't cry.

 

"I suppose this this is my fault, for not explaining properly _why_ you aren't allowed to play with these gifts. Come here?"

 

If... if his dad wanted him to come closer, then maybe he wasn't _too_ mad? He probably didn't hate Noctis then, right? He steeled himself and looked up to find his dad sitting there with his arms open. Not one to miss out on a chance like that, Noctis rushed to him, climbing into his lap. He oofed softly as he helped pull Noctis up.

 

"Listen carefully, okay?" his dad said gently. "When people give gifts to a prince, they can't just pop by a nearby toy store to get something off the shelf, it wouldn't be proper. When you give gifts to royalty, they aren't simply gifts. They're symbols, in most cases a symbol of fealty. Do you know what that is?"

 

Noctis shook his head, huddling closer to his dad. He probably _should_ know what that was, if it had to do with being a prince.

 

"It's a promise that you give to someone important, someone with a higher rank than you, that you'll be loyal to them. That you'll support them and help them, because you trust that they'll keep you safe. Do you understand?"

 

Noctis nodded a little hesitantly. He was pretty sure he understood it, but even though he was a prince - which was one of the most important things you could be - he didn't really think he could keep anyone safe. He could _try_ , but even if he did his best in his fighting lessons, he had to admit that he wasn't very good yet, no matter how badly he didn't want to. "But... can I keep adults safe?"

 

His dad chuckled a little, and poked at Noctis' tummy. He squirmed away from the ticklish touch. "No, my boy, you're a little bit young for that yet. But they want to show that they trust you'll protect them in the _future_ , when you're older. Get in early, so to speak." His dad's smile faded, and he turned serious. "So, if they gave you a very nice gift because they trust you, how do you think they would feel if they learned you broke it?"

 

Oh. Noctis looked down, stomach sinking so hard it hurt. "Disappointed," he answered dejectedly. "Like they shouldn't trust me after all."

 

"Precisely. And like I said, because it's a gift for a prince, it's not something they just bought somewhere on a whim. They spent a bunch of money to have it specially made for your birthday."

 

Noctis looked thoughtfully at the broken car, and then back up at his father. "But I don't really need a super expensive, special car. I want one I can play with more..." he admitted guiltily. It was probably rude to be ungrateful about a present that someone had apparently worked hard to get for him.

 

"Well," his dad said, chuckling a little. "Perhaps this bit will be a little hard to understand, but people take pride in being able to afford expensive gifts for their prince. It's a way to show that they're doing well. That they can buy things other people can't. That they're a better vassal - someone who's sworn fealty - than other people. Do you understand?"

 

Noctis frowned. That seemed stupid. What did it matter that they could buy toys that nobody could use? What was the point? "But if the presents cost a whole bunch of money, wouldn't it be better to spend it on something else? Like helping people? They're very pretty, but I don't need toys no-one's even allowed to touch, promise!"

 

With a gentle smile, his dad brushed back Noctis' hair. "Would that everyone thought like you, son. Maybe we can tell them that's what you'd like for your birthday next year, hmm?"

 

Noctis nodded, proud at the tone of his dad's voice. That was the praise-voice. The one that meant he'd done something right.

 

"But a word of warning. It isn't just for your sake that they buy expensive gifts. It is every bit as much for their own sake. Because they like feeling proud of their riches, at what they can do, and what they can afford. They enjoy their pride over having contact with royalty. So you must be careful with their gifts. A broken gift might hurt their pride also, and there are few things more dangerous than a man with wounded pride. And always, _always_ be careful; just because someone gives you a gift, does not mean they have your best interests at heart. Okay? Always accept graciously - politely and with a smile - but remember to also the question the _reason_ for the gift.

 

Noctis huddled closer to his dad. That seemed very complicated, and kind of stupid, too. Why would you give someone gifts if you didn't like them? And why would you _accept_ a gift from someone if you didn't like them, or even trust them? But his dad expected him to understand and obey, even if he didn't quite get all of it, so he nodded slightly. "Okay."

 

"Good boy," his dad said with a quick smile, and ruffled his hair. "Now get over to your own seat, our dinner's getting cold."

 

Noctis didn't want to, he liked being close to his dad like this, and it almost never happened. But his dad was busy, and if Noctis didn't move, then he couldn't eat, and then he might go back to work _without_ eating. And everyone always kept telling Noctis how dangerous it was to not finish your food. So reluctantly, he slipped off of his dad's lap and went for his own chair.

 

"Oh, and Noctis?" his dad said as he was pulling the chair out, ready to sit down. "Don't worry about the car. It isn't that badly damaged, so I'll see if we can't get it fixed somehow. Now sit down and eat your vegetables."

 

"Yes, dad," Noctis replied, hopping onto his chair with a grin. He didn't want to eat the stupid vegetables, but his dad wasn't mad, or even disappointed anymore, and he apparently hadn't ruined things completely. So all in all, that was pretty good, really.

 

* * *

 

When Noctis woke up on his next birthday, there was a giant plush fish - was that a tide grouper, maybe? - wrapped in a big black bow sitting on the table. A giant plush toy he couldn't remember ever seeing before. He rushed out of bed, maybe faster than he ever had before, fingers clenched at the edge of the table as he stared at it. Was it a gift? But he usually didn't get one of those until the boring parties, and they were _never_ placed in his bedroom.

 

There was a soft knock on the door, and a servant entered. "Good morning, Prince Noctis," he greeted with a smile and slight bow. "And happy birthday."

 

"What's this?" he asked, pointing to the toy, even as he turned to look at him. Then he remembered his manners. His dad would be - what was the word? Oh yes - appalled. "And good morning."

 

The servant chuckled indulgently as he brought over Noctis' breakfast tray, placing it on the table next to the toy. "It's a birthday present from His Majesty."

 

Noctis whipped back to stare at the toy in complete awe. "From my dad?"

 

"Yes, Your Highness. With the message that it's yours, to play with as you wish."

 

A gift just for _him_? Not because he was a prince, or because he was supposed to protect people in the future, or because someone wanted to show off their money or their pride or whatever, but just a regular toy for him to play with, whenever he wanted? It wasn't as if his dad never bought him toys or other stuff. When he went away on trips, he'd sometimes bring back something special, and if he sometimes gave Noctis things, just because he'd seen them and thought Noctis would like them. And sometimes, these things were even toys, even if Noctis didn't usually have all that much time to play with them. After all, between school, lessons with his tutors, and important stuff princes had to do, there wasn't all that much time left over.

 

But this was a _birthday present_ ! A _real_ one! And from his dad, no less! He wished his dad was here, so he could thank him in person, but he got it. His dad had even less spare time than Noctis did.

 

He probably didn't pay as much attention in school as he should have that day, and he definitely should've spent more time on his homework instead of playing with the plush toy - definitely a tide grouper. And strangely enough, at the birthday party, there seemed to be fewer stupidly fancy and extravagant pointless gifts than he remembered. There were a lot of very pretty cards, though.

 

Noctis pulled at Cor's sleeve - who was on guard duty again, for some reason. "What do the cards say?" he asked, pointing at the gift table.

 

Cor made an expression that was almost a smile. "How 'bout we go find out?"

 

Noctis nodded and hopped from his chair, heading for the gift table with The Immortal in tow. It was kind of a nice feeling; it made him feel important, and _everyone_ got either nervous or kind of awed when Cor was around. He could _just_ reach the closest card on the table, and carefully picked it up. He frowned at it. It was in that very complicated, fancy script he hated to read, and hated even more to write, but that he had to learn for... reasons he'd never really understood. No-one at school had to learn it, after all.

 

"Proof of do-na-tion. To the so-ci-e-ty for pro-tec-tion of cats, in the sum of 40,000," he read, then looked up at Cor. "What is it?"

 

"Do you remember your last birthday?"

 

Noctis nodded. He remembered the toy car, and how it broke, because that had been the _worst_ . And he remembered getting to sit in his dad's lap, and being held close. And the long speech about how gifts were _complicated_. And apparently also really, really dumb.

 

"Well, His Majesty quite liked your suggestion that the peers of the realm might spend more on charity, rather than on lavish gifts for a child who has no use for them," Cor said, and his eyes were twinkling. A lot of people from the Crownsguard had eyes like that when they thought something was funny, but they didn't think they were supposed to show it. Noctis had seen it often enough to recognize it, even if they all seemed to think they were so sneaky and clever.

 

But he still didn't really get what Cor was saying.

 

Cor took a look at Noctis' face, and chuckled a little. Then he continued. "Your father told people how you'd like it better if they'd help others, instead of giving you pointless, gifts that're just gonna gather dust, and not do anyone any good. These cards are all letters saying that people gave money to charities - groups that do good things, who help people - or, like the one you read, animals - who need it."

 

"So..." Noctis said, and trailed off as he digested that. Could it really be that... "I helped people?"

 

Cor's eyes were shining again, and he looked oddly proud. "Yes, Your Highness. You certainly did."  
  
Noctis looked back at the notes again, in awed wonder. There were a _lot_ of them. And all of them were saying that he'd helped someone. Well, sort of. He straightened with a proud grin. Even if he was a Big Boy, there still wasn't much he could do to help or save people, like princes were supposed to. But he'd done _something_ . These notes were proof of that. And maybe someday, he'd be a real, _proper_ prince, who could protect people and all that stuff, and he'd be someone his dad could be proud of.

 

He hoped so, anyway.

 

* * *

 

There was no boring party that year. Noctis was sick, and so weak he could barely move, or even do more than sleep, most of the day. He was just so _tired_ all the time.

 

If there were any birthday presents, he didn't remember them. Then again, he wasn't at home, so maybe that was where the presents were, if there were any. He hoped people had just sent those letters that helped people instead. But at least Luna was nice, even if she kept talking about complicated stuff Noctis didn't always understand, even though he tried his best. And the cake was really good; soft and flaky, and sweet like berries. He wasn't really sure whether the cake had been for his birthday or for something else; he wasn't really sure _when_ his birthday had been, it was all such a blur. But at least there _had_ been cake at one point, and it'd been really good, too. Which was something, at least.

 

* * *

 

Noctis... couldn't really bring himself to think about birthdays and presents and all that stuff after that. After all, it was hard to get excited about silly stuff like that when he kept dreaming about the giant snake lady with the scary grin and all of those swords, and Honoria shielding him, and holding him close, and her warm, wet blood, and the pain, and how he couldn't move, and-...

 

The nightmares didn't come too often, especially as long as he kept the Carbuncle charm nearby, but that didn't mean he could _forget_ , either. A whole bunch of people had died, because of him. Because he was the prince. And because he hadn't been able to protect them, like princes were supposed to. So really, it was all his fault that they'd died. Which meant he probably didn't deserve presents anyway. Not when all he was good for was getting people hurt. But he wasn't allowed to refuse any of the presents, either.

 

So instead, he'd just smile politely at the parties, thank people when he was told to, and just wait for it to finally be over for another year. And he never, ever touched anything he was giving, desperately wishing he could just give it all away to someone else. It wasn't as if any of the gifts, or the party, or _any_ of it was really for him, anyway.

 

* * *

 

"Hey, dude, how come you didn't tell me it was your birthday yesterday?" Prompto asked in favour of an actual greeting as he slung an arm across Noctis' shoulders. "I had to find out from the news on _TV_. That's cold, man. Not to mention super embarrassing. What kind of friend doesn't know their best bud's b-day?"

 

Noctis scoffed, and kind of half-heartedly tried to shrug Prompto's arm off, in a way that was cleverly calculated to not have it budge at all. But this way, he could at least say that he tried. "It's just a stupid birthday, who cares?"

 

Prompto looked at him as if he'd just kicked a puppy. A sad, injured, _whimpering_ puppy. " _I_ care, dude. And judging by the news, the entire country and approximately half the world cares too."

 

Noctis scoffed again. "Yeah, they care it's the _Prince of Lucis_ ' birthday. Future ruler and the person who's gonna power the Wall. They don't give two shits about Noctis."

 

"Weird and oddly creepy referring to yourself in third person aside, hang on a second. You're kinda breaking my worldview. I thought royal birthdays were, like, epic events?" Prompto looked confused, which was probably fair. That's probably how it looked from the outside, after all.

 

"Yeah, sure," Noctis replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm surrounded by people I don't know, and everybody's commenting on how much I've grown, but really, they're just comparing me to my dad, and judging me, thinking about how far I've got left to go. I get a single piece of bullshit cake that looks super fancy, but is about as tasty as cardboard soaked in sugar, and that's made to show off Insomnia's cuisine to foreign dignitaries, whatever that means, with zero thought put into whether it's something I'd like. Or something _anyone'd_ like, to be honest. There's tons of presents, sure, but none of them are for _me_. They're all for the Kingdom of Lucis, or the Future King, they're to show off wealth or buy favour, or whatever the fuck else. Even if I wanted any of it, I can't even touch it, 'cause Astrals forbid something happened and it broke or whatever. That might cause a diplomatic incident, or offend whatever important person gave it, so they'll want some kind of petty revenge later. But sure, epic events. Super fun. You should try it sometime."

 

He probably shouldn't be - okay, _fine_ \- whining this much, it probably looked bad, and he was supposed to be grateful and stuff, public image, blah blah. But this was kind of the first time anyone had ever _asked_ what his birthdays were like, and really, it wasn't as if Prompto would ever tell anyone or sell him out. Prompto was a way better friend than Noctis deserved, to be honest. Which made it even worse that Noctis kind of wanted more.

 

Prompto let his arm slide off of Noctis’ shoulder, turned to face him head on, and gave him another look as if he’d kicked all the puppies. He turned contemplative, then serious, and gave a firm nod. “Okay, come with me, we’re redoing your birthday celebration, even if it’s a day late.”

 

"What?" Noctis asked, baffled at Prompto's random idea. Then he scoffed. "No, come on, forget it. It's just a stupid birthday, it's no big deal."

 

"Nope," Prompto replied in a cheerful, singsong voice, hooking his arm around Noct's. "You deserve a proper birthday. Well, okay. You'll get a _proper_ -proper one next year, when I've got time to prepare and can get you a real present and do it on your _actual_ birthday, and not a day late. All that stuff. But, y'know. For now." He smiled awkwardly, then shook his head. "Man I can't believe that even _I've_ got more experience with proper birthdays than the actual prince. How weird is _that_?"

 

Prompto pulled insistently on Noctis' arm. "Now c'mon, let's _go._ "

 

Noctis huffed a laugh, but did as he was told. It was kind of funny, really, how enthusiastic Prompto got about the weirdest things. And... endearing, and other gushy stuff that Noctis would rather stay as far away from as possible.

 

Soon, they were at the nearest Crow's Nest, and Prompto was shoving him down into a booth with a grin so bright it almost hurt to look at. "Order whatever you want, buddy, it's on me today!"

 

"Come on, you don't have to do that," Noctis protested. It wasn't as if his friend was _poor_ or anything, but he definitely didn't have anywhere near the kind of money Noctis had, for, well, pretty obvious reasons. And Prompto's parents sometimes seemed kind of...less than diligent about the whole sending money thing, or making sure Prompto had what he needed, or whatever. In fact, Noctis had a sneaking suspicion that Prompto paid for most of what he needed out of his own pocket, with his part-time job. But he knew asking could never end well - Prompto would just get upset, or insulted, or embarrassed or whatever - so he normally just let it be, and tried to help out in small ways that weren't too obvious.

 

"I absolutely have to do that, it's your _birthday_ ," Prompto insisted, sounding as if Noctis paying for himself would be some kind of sacrilege or whatever. "The time has come for you to feast on greasy crap while someone else picks up the tab."

 

Noctis didn't point out that it _technically_ wasn't his birthday anymore, and just smiled instead, even if it felt like it came out kind of awkward. Then again, he felt kind of awkward most of the time, so what else was new? "Thanks, man. You're the best."

 

Prompto puffed out his chest with a proud hum. "You bet I am. Now go on and order yourself a heart attack on a plate."

 

"I should've known, this is a royal assassination attempt, isn't it?" he joked, as he looked through the menu. The thing was short enough and they came here often enough he knew it all by heart, but still. It was something to do, and something to hide behind so he didn't melt into a puddle of awkward gratitude.

 

"Ack, you've foiled my dastardly plan!" Prompto joked along, carefully studying a menu he needed just about as much as Noctis needed his.

 

Noctis glanced up over the edge of his menu, and smiled when Prompto's eyes met his. He got a slightly wobbly smile paired with what looked like pink cheeks in return. Although what Prompto possibly had to feel embarrassed about or whatever, he had idea.

 

He ended up eating what was, by his estimates, probably the greasiest thing on the menu; fries slathered with cheese and bacon, and a hamburger that, thankfully, probably had more vegetables in the sauce than anywhere else.

 

And when he thought he couldn't possibly eat a single bite more without exploding, the waitress came over, carrying a chocolate monstrosity with a lit sparkler that Prompto must have managed to order _somehow_ without him ordering. He had no idea how, though. Black magic, maybe?

 

"Happy birthday, honey," the waitress said as she placed the sugar bomb in front of him, and her well-wishes sounded about fifty times more heartfelt than most birthday greetings he'd ever gotten.

 

Noctis had a sneaking suspicion that if he hadn't been shocked speechless, he might've teared up a little. "Thanks," he all but whispered, then cleared his throat, and looked at both the waitress and Prompto in turn.

 

The waitress' answering smile was indulgent as she left, and Prompto's grin was bight enough it could probably light up a medium-sized town.

 

"See?" he said, bouncing just a little in his seat. " _This_ is what a birthday is all about."

 

Noctis huffed a laugh, and gentle pushed the chocolate dessert closer to the middle of the table. "Wanna share?"

 

"Nah, dude, go ahead. It's _your_ birthday, after all," Prompto replied, casually dismissing the offer with a wave of his hand.

 

"Come on, dude, help me out here," Noctis argued. "Do I _look_ like I can eat all of this by myself?"

 

Prompto hummed thoughtfully. "No," he admitted. "But then again, I've never understood where you put all the crap you eat, so that doesn't really say much."

 

Noctis shot him an annoyed look, then gave the dessert another pointed shove. With a laugh, Prompto picked up a spare spoon and joined him in digging in.

 

The mix of chocolate and fudge and ice cream and whatever else - Noctis _ate_ things, okay, he didn't specialize in making them, that was Ignis' thing - all but exploded on his tongue, but before he could react, Prompto beat him to the punch, moaning loud and filthy in a way that had Noctis torn between feeling uncharacteristically embarrassed that the rest of the diner could here, and, well, kind of _inappropriately turned on_. Fuck, Prompto's entire everything should be illegal.

 

"Shiva's _tits_ ," Prompto moaned with his mouth still full. Noctis kind of wanted to hiss at him to shut up; mostly for his own sanity's sake and not because people were staring. "That right there is like the best thing that's ever happened to me."

 

Noctis took another bite of the dessert so his mouth would be too busy to blurt out all sorts of stupid stuff. Because no matter how good the mess of chocolate was - and it was _definitely_ good - it still shouldn't be the best thing that had ever happened to someone. Especially not someone like Prompto, who kinda deserved the world. And Noctis secretly wanted to do whatever he could to give it to him.

 

"So," Prompto said, while still enthusiastically stuffing himself with dessert. "You wanna go to the arcade after this? I still need to get you a present, after all."

 

Noctis frowned down at the death by chocolate, confused. "I thought this was the present?"

 

Prompto stared at him, looking absolutely horrified. Then he grabbed another spoonful of ice cream. "Dude, no. Birthday dinners are not the same as birthday presents. They're separate, okay?"

 

"O-...kay?" Noctis agreed, bowing to Prompto's presumably superior knowledge of birthdays. "Anything in particular we're doing at the arcade?"

 

Prompto smiled with a smug little hum. "You'll see.

 

* * *

 

They'd been hanging out at the arcade for maybe an hour and a half, and he still had no idea what Prompto's birthday present was supposed to be. What he _did_ know was that if he stayed out for much longer, someone - probably Ignis, the stick in the mud - was gonna have kittens. Tiny, angry coeurl-kittens that would shock anyone who got to close with equally tiny, but mighty thunder spells.

 

"Hey, Prompto," he called hesitantly. "I've kinda gotta-..."

 

Prompto glanced away from his shooter game, and towards the clock on the wall. "Oh shit, yeah," he said, and stepped away from the game, purposefully losing.

 

Which _really_ hadn't been Noctis' intention. "Hey, you didn't have to do that, it's still fine."

 

"Nah, it's all good," Prompto replied with a casual shrug. "I gotta hit the can real quick, so meet you outside, 'kay?"

 

"Sure?" Noctis agreed with a nod and a shrug, not really getting why Prompto would insist on using the bathrooms _here_ , instead of waiting the maybe 40 minutes until he got home. Or, well, got to Noctis' place. He'd kinda been hoping Prompto would want to stay over.

 

"Thanks, man." With a grin, Prompto ran off, and Noctis ambled towards the exit, kind of hoping that he'd be slow enough Prompto would catch up. Even though August was pretty much over, Insomnia was still almost uncomfortably warm, and he'd rather not wait outside for too long.

 

Still, he reached the entrance with absolutely no sign of Prompto, so he settled in for a quick round of King's Knight while waiting, leaning against the arcade wall.

 

"Sorry for the wait!"

 

Prompto's cheerful shout brought him back into the real world, and wow, what had he been doing in there, fighting off Seadevils crawling up through the pipes or something?

 

"You're late," Noctis grumbled as he put away his phone and looked up. And stared.

 

Prompto grinned and held out the _huge_ chocobo plush toy he was carrying. "Happy birthday, Noct!"

 

" _How_?" Noct managed to get out after a moment of speechlessness, carefully grabbing the plush chocobo and studying it. It actually looked really good, for what was presumably some kind of arcade prize.

 

Prompto laughed, a short, smug, triumphant laugh. "What can I say, I am the ultimate master of crane games."

 

Noctis stared at him in disbelief. "You got this from a _crane game_? I thought those things were impossible. Like, rigged to be impossible."

 

"Not with my leet skillz, baby!"

 

And there was clearly something wrong with Noctis, because that _should_ be obnoxious, but he couldn't help but find it endearing. Plus, Prompto had kind of inadvertently called him 'baby', which he didn't quite know what to do with. Like, there was a part of him that was pleased, but also a part of him that wanted to tell Prompto to never, _ever_ do that again, Or Else. Because man, _baby_ , what the fuck.

 

Still. "Thanks, Prom," he said with a smile, holding his chocobo a little closer. In his defense, it was very soft. And comfortable. And probably great for napping, come to think of it.

 

"Sure thing, buddy! Any time." Prompto's grin was as bright as the damn sun as he slapped Noctis on the back.

 

Noctis hesitated for a second, before deciding to just stop being such a wuss and just _ask_. "Hey, wanna stay over at my place tonight?"

 

Prompto visibly brightened. "And continue this party? You bet!"

 

"This is your idea of a part?" Noctis asked with a soft snort. "Wow, guess commoners live really boring lives."

 

Prompto made an indignant noise. "You shut that stupid royal mouth, or I'm taking this party back to my place, and you can just sulk alone in your giant, fancy, state-of-the-art apartment."

 

"Oh no, however will I survive," Noctis deadpanned, making Prompto laugh. It felt like something of a victory, despite the fact that Prompto laughed _all the time_ . Still, Noctis couldn't help but grin. Well, more like smirk. Princes didn't _grin_ , it was undignified.

 

But it turned out birthdays weren't so bad after all, when you had someone like Prompto in your life.

 

* * *

 

They ended up sharing Noctis' bed - like they usually did - because even Noctis could admit that the thing was stupidly, pointlessly huge. He wasn't gonna make Prompto sleep on the couch, after all, and Noctis _definitely_ wasn't sleeping on the thing himself. Well, outside of naps. It was perfectly comfortable for napping, but actual, proper sleep was something you did in beds.

 

Sometimes, he kinda wished he'd thought to ask his dad for an apartment with a second bedroom, because even though it was... nice, to share his bed with someone like this, it was also becoming increasingly bad for his heart and... other things... to sleep this close to his best friend.

 

"So," Prompto said, looking even softer and warmer than usual in the dimmed bedroom light. "Good birthday? Or, well, almost-birthday, I guess?"

 

Noctis nodded. "The best. Thanks, Prom."

 

"Aww, don't mention it, buddy," he replied with an awkward laugh, scratching at his face and shifting in some kind of full-body fidget or whatever.

 

Well, if being thanked made Prompto all awkwardly pleased like that, it was worth the embarrassment to do it. "No, but seriously. I swear, this is the best birthday I've ever had. I can't think of a single other thing I could possibly want. So thanks."

 

"Really?" Prompto said timidly, his voice cracking just a little before he laughed it off. "Oh, come on, you're either not thinking hard enough, or your expectations are way too low."

 

The fact that his gratitude apparently meant that much to Prompto was... kind of indescribably huge. Of course, there was one more thing he wanted, but it wasn't as if he was ever gonna get that, and he definitely had no plans of ever bothering Prompto with his stupid, pointless feelings, and risk ruining their friendship.

 

"Oh! Prompto exclaimed triumphantly. "Looking at that face, there _is_ something else! Come on, tell your bro all about it. Even if I can't do anything about it this year, I can totally fix something for your next birthday, right?"

 

Shit. Of all the things to be perceptive about. "Nah, forget about it, it's nothing."

 

But of course Prompto was like a dog with a bone when he wanted to be. "Come onnnn, tell me! As your birthday planner extraordinaire, it's my job - nay, duty! - to know these things!"

 

How was he gonna get out of this one? He sucked at lying, so that was out. Prompto would just see right through the attempt, and then probably get hurt, too. Okay, so a modified truth. "It's really nothing big. Just what all guys want for their birthday, I guess?"

 

Prompto stared at him, wide-eyed and with his cheeks rapidly growing more pink. "Noct, you _dog_! I didn't think princes were allowed to be gutter-brained like the rest of us."

 

"What?" Noctis blurted out in surprise, before catching on. Well, that wasn't what he'd been thinking of, but he definitely was _now_ , damn it. Except Prompto probably thought he was thinking about some kind of busty beauty at the Citadel, or whatever. " _No_ , that's not what I meant, you perv!"

 

"Mm-hmm," Prompto agreed in complete disbelief. "Sure it wasn't."

 

"No, I swear, I just-..." Noctis trailed off, because the truth was almost more embarrassing than Prompto's misunderstanding. Still, he didn't wanna be ribbed - and wrongfully, too - 'till the end of time for being a perv. "I was thinking, like, a kiss from a cute date, y'know? Isn't that what everyone wants?"

 

Prompto stared at him, mouth half-open as if he'd forgotten what words were. "Wow. That's... surprisingly pure. And actually really romantic, dude, what the fuck. Are you an actual, proper fairytale prince? You do realize I was kidding when I said I thought princes weren't allowed to be pervs like the rest of us, right?"

 

"Shut up," Noctis grumbled, shoving at Prompto's face. It only made him laugh, so Noctis turned over on his back so he at least wouldn't have to _look_ at his friend - and, _fine_ , crush, he should probably just give in and admit it to himself, after all - as he laughed at how juvenile Noctis' ideas about relationships were, or whatever.

 

Which was why he didn't notice Prompto moving until he felt soft, warm and slightly damp lips pressed against his cheek. Noctis whipped his head around, staring in complete disbelief. Had that really just happened?

 

Judging by how Prompto was bright red and looking everywhere but at Noctis, it probably had.

 

"I figured I could at least help you get the kiss part down," Prompto explained in what was probably supposed to be a joking tone, but his voice was shaking too badly. "Shame about the 'cute' and 'date' parts, but one in three isn't too bad for a first try, right? Something to work on for next year, I guess."

 

He laughed, but it sounded painfully fake.

 

"I don't know," Noctis' mouth said, completely without any input from his brain. "I kinda think you've got the 'cute' part down too."

 

Fuck, he _knew_ he'd say something stupid. Stupid, traitor mouth.

 

Prompto's eyes snapped up to meet his, and he turned - if possible - even redder. "Really?"

 

He sounded so vulnerable and sad, as if it was inconceivable to him that someone would think he was cute, which was completely unacceptable. Noctis was nodding almost before the word was done coming out of his mouth.

 

"Really," he confirmed. Did he dare...? If there was ever a chance, this was it, and he didn't think he'd ever get a second one. And if he asked now, maybe he could pass it off as a joke if it didn't work. "Would you... well, would you _want_ to make it three out of three?"

 

Prompto made a noise that sounded suspiciously close to a squeak, and started coughing hard. Worried, Noctis put a hand on his arm.

 

"You okay there?"

 

"Yeah!" Prompto replied, voice cracking. "I mean, I just-... Really? Did you seriously-...? _Me_?"

 

"Well, yeah," Noctis replied, 'cause really, who else would he mean? Not to mention how pretty much everyone and their father - including his own - had already noticed his crush a long time ago.

 

"Oh." Prompto got dangerously close to a squeak again.

 

"I'm guessing that's a no, then," Noctis said, trying not to let it show how hard his heart was sinking. Still, he had to make sure Prompto wouldn't feel bad or pressured or whatever. "Hey, I get it, it's not like-..."

 

"No!" Prompto interrupted, then grimaced. "I mean, yes! I mean-... argh! I mean, can we please try again? With the, uh, three out of three? And, like, maybe, possibly... not on the cheek?"

 

His bright red blush made his freckles stand out more, and Noctis _loved_ it, even though he was trying desperately not to think about how he probably wasn't any better off himself. But Prompto had just said that he wanted to kiss him. Wanted to _date_ him. There couldn't possibly be any better feeling in the world. He was smiling so hard it hurt as he replied. "Yes. It would be my pleasure."

 

"Dork," Prompto muttered with a small scoff, but he met Noctis halfway as he went in for the kiss. It was barely more than a touch of lips, but Noctis still felt like he was _flying_.

 

"See?" he whispered as they broke apart. "Best birthday ever."

 

" _Dork_ ," Prompto repeated, hitting him over the head with one of the many, many spare pillows. But he was smiling just as widely as Noctis was, and his cheeks were still beautifully pink. Even better; he didn't resist when Noctis pulled him closer, turning around so they could fall asleep spooning.

 

Well, provided they _could_ fall asleep. Noctis' heart was racing so fast he couldn't see how he'd ever manage to sleep ever again, which would be an actual tragedy. And from what he could feel from where his hand was resting on Prompto's chest, he wasn't much better off either.

 

Still, they should at least _try_ to get some sleep, so with a sigh, he whispered into Prompto's ear: "Good night."

 

Prompto shuddered and made a soft noise that Noctis _definitely_ wanted to explore more closely some other time, because wow. "Good night, Noct."

 

Noctis pressed a small kiss to the back of Prompto's neck and smiled.

 

Definitely the best birthday ever.  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope I'll see you around!


End file.
